


Mirror Shard

by Ralkyre



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, F/M, Falk's night visits take a turn, Mentions of Myth & Folklore, Mild Sexual Content, Mostly Canon Compliant, featuring Unit Bravo and their reactions to whatever this is, spoilers for book two, very vaguely described Detective
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:40:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24514003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ralkyre/pseuds/Ralkyre
Summary: When the man in a mirror became more than just a folk story, she expected an enemy - someone who will stop at nothing to fullfil his people's purpose, citizens of Wayhaven be damned. Instead the Detective found a complication to what was already quite a turbulent life, one she can't help but like more than she should.Set at the end of book 2, in a scenario where the treaty with the maa-alused was signed.
Relationships: Falk/Female Detective
Comments: 10
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

“The schedule has been approved - the replacement procedures will begin tomorrow morning. The land has been selected to accommodate the maa-alused’s requirements, such as distance from human cities and villages, as well as specific natural formations. Here...” 

Rebecca picked two sheets of paper from her folder and placed it on the large oak desk taking up most of the meeting room. Allison and the rest of the unit Bravo leaned in to take a closer look at what looked like several photos of a cave system cut into a tall cliff face, surrounded by forested mountains and valleys - a real grove with tall birches and vast meadows bathed in golden sunlight. There also seemed to be an impressively detailed topographic map of the area - at least that was just about all Allison managed to catch before Farah impatiently swept up both sheets to scrutinize them closer.

“Put them back down, Farah. This information is meant for everyone,” Adam reacted almost immediately, a slight frown settling on his face.

“Oh all right. It’s not _that_ interesting anyway,” Farah sighed in mock defeat, placing the documents back and instead sinking into one of the plush burgundy chairs around the table, her curly hair spread around her head like a halo.

“It really looks like another world. So serene and peaceful,” Allison had to admit - even though she knew the place was chosen as a practical and functional solution, there was no way it won on these grounds alone.

“It’s just rocks and trees. Plenty of those anywhere,” Morgan scoffed, crossing her arms and Allison couldn’t help but silently thank whoever decided she wouldn’t get anywhere near this decision.

“Not if you practically never get out of the city. Besides, I mostly meant that it looks like it fulfills the demands,” she pointed out.

“I don’t remember ‘serene’ or ‘peaceful’ being included. As far away from humans as possible - that I heard loud and clear,” Morgan retorted, smirking as she always did whenever she got to contradict the Detective. 

Which meant she did it a lot.

“Oh right, Natey, we can go hiking!” Farah sprang up from the chair to stand behind Nate, clasping his shoulders and bouncing up and down like an overexcited child, then focused her gaze on Rebecca. “We will, right? I mean, we will get to join in on the fun, no?”

“If by ‘fun’ you mean assisting with the relocation,” Rebecca said sternly, even as a small smile tugged at her lips, “then yes, the Agency has requested your presence. For some part, to speed up the process. This area is difficult to access even on foot, which means that several supernaturals will help with loading and unloading cargo. The fact that your group will be familiar to the maa-alused will smooth the process as well.” 

She then hesitated, looking up from her file to meet Allison’s eyes.

“There was also the matter of someone being asked to attend specifically.”

Allison bit her lip, but quickly forced herself to stop – it was a terrible habit that immediately made it obvious to everyone around that something was bothering her. No great deduction skills were needed to figure out who was it that was requested to attend, or who made this request. Luckily, it was to be expected - after all, she was the one who first made contact with their leader - well, a contact where neither person present was petrified with terror in a mirror maze. It was only logical - and yet, she felt a small lurch in her chest, which had very little to do with reason, taking the words she was just about to say right off the tip of her tongue. 

Fortunately , Nate, quiet up until this moment, saved her.

“Of course they would want the Detective there. She was the liaison between us and the maa-alused. Without her diplomatic skills, this whole situation could have gone horribly wrong,” he smiled warmly as he said that and Allison had to resist the urge to join Farah and hug him.

“There you go again with putting me on a pedestal...” she managed to respond, nervously running her hand through her hair.

“I am merely giving credit where it is due.”

Rebecca cleared her throat, a rare sign of her discomfort.

“Yes. Falk sounded quite adamant that you join us. I saw no reason to refuse, seeing as it was already stated in the Agency’s directive that the whole Unit Bravo joins the relocation.”

She sounded calm and composed, as usual, but by now Allison could tell when there was something she was holding back. She tried her best to ignore the gnawing feeling of embarrassment and focusing back on the task at hand, firmly pushing everything else out of her mind.

“Of course. One other thing - Falk...the maa-alused refused the offer of the long-range Agency communication devices for emergency purposes,” she said, glad to be back in safe territory.

“Oh? That was not mentioned in your report. I will have to inform our people that the boxes can be unloaded,” Rebecca made a small note in her files, before looking back up. “When did you learn this?”

”Only yesterday. This is why it was missing from my report,” Allison responded happily, seconds before she realized she had made a huge mistake.

“Falk came to see you again?”

From anyone else, this sentence would sound like a perfectly innocent statement. However, Farah’s wide grin and purposely low, sultry tone transformed it into something completely inappropriate. Four pairs of eyes immediately turned to the Detective who only just managed to shoot a quick, angry glare Farah’s way, the obviously pleased vampire only smiling wider. There were times she really, _really_ hated working with supernatural beings who could not only detect when she was, in her own words, slightly altering the truth (lying) but who could clearly read her reactions like an open book. She could almost hear how her heartbeat decided this was the right moment to take off, sprinting into distance.

“Yes...” Allison started, hesitating. “He just had some questions, some of which I could not respond to, since they were related to the relocation details.”

This, at the very least, was the truth. It was not the whole truth, but a good start. The memory of the tall, white-haired leader of the maa-alused walking around her bedroom as nonchalantly as if he owned it, even while looking so out of place surrounded by modern furniture in his almost royal-looking dark tunic and with his golden-black eyes, immediately popped into her head, inexplicably forcing a smile on her lips. After the peace treaty was signed, he has certainly picked up a habit of visiting, usually in the middle of the night, never apologizing for his presence or explaining it, beyond stating that “there was something he wondered about”. 

The first time he appeared like that, she greeted him with a stun gun in her hand - it took a while for her to let down her guard. 

Rebecca sighed and pinched at the bridge of her nose.

“You did mention to him that he can contact the Agency directly if he or his people need something? We have installed a mirror in the meeting room just for that purpose.”

“I...did tell him yes. He said he would consider it as an option.”

“So this is what - the fifth, no, seventh time Falk has decided to grace your apartment with his presence?” Farah continued to tease, making a scene of dramatically counting the amount of visits on her fingers. Allison sighed, silently praying to whatever deity was around to make her stop.

_How did I ever think that confiding in her was a good idea, I will never know._

“And you did not think this information was important enough to mention it to us?” Adam frowned, looking between Farah and Allison. It was difficult to tell whether the expression on his face was concern or anger.

“I did tell all of you that he came by to ask me about the Agency.”

_I just…failed to mention the visits that followed._

“Why is it that that he needs to talk to you so often then? His people were given all necessary information and numerous ways to contact us,” Adam obviously wasn’t willing to let this one go.

Allison shrugged, holding his gaze. “Maybe he just feels more comfortable discussing certain things with someone he is more used to.”

“Oh yeah, comfortable is the word,” Farah chimed in, winking.

“Farah, enough.”

Her and Nate actually said this in unison and Allison threw him a grateful smile.

“Besides,” she cleared her throat - a nervous habit she found she shared with her mother, “don’t forget that during the first ‘visit’ his people trashed my apartment, infected Douglas with that horrible disease and threatened to do the same to me. I’d hardly called that ‘gracing’.”

Morgan actually laughed at that. “You mean you trashed your own apartment while trying to chase them out.” 

The Detective frowned at her, which, as usual, had no effect on Morgan. Still - she was right, although Allison was still adamantly convinced she did not overreact, wielding a table lamp at the maa-alused intruders. If she has ever felt safe in her own home since learning about supernatural world, Murphy and the DMB gas attack shattered that illusion. 

And yet, for all the opportunities she had to tell Falk to stop ambushing her in her own damn apartment, she never did. Not after his second visit. She could still hear his quiet voice, words tinged with an almost playful invitation.

_“If you care to, we could give your neighbors something to mull over.”_

Falk kept doing this, switching from conversation to flirtation whenever they found themselves alone, picking the moments with such care that it always visibly took her by surprise, to his apparent delight. It enraged her at first - the arrogance the man had, deeming it perfectly reasonable to act as if nothing happened, right after attacking her. That anger, however, has transformed into something she tried very hard not to name. 

She was still half-convinced that he was not serious, that he only saw this as means to rattle her - the way he watched her sometimes, a mix of amusement and fascination on his face, she felt like some kind of trained monkey who managed to perform a particularly entertaining trick. If it wasn’t her blood, it was her invulnerability to their “judgement” - always something, as far as the supernaturals were concerned.

Unfortunately, other people started to notice too, as Falk never really bothered with something as pedestrian as “being discreet”.

Lost in thoughts, it took Allison a few moments to realize that Adam was talking.

“Even if the maa-alused claim they are are no longer a threat to the Detective, I don’t think it is appropriate for their leader to contact the Agency this way. If they are to be our allies, they should act like it.”

“I’ll make sure to bring a chaperone the next time around,” she couldn’t help but respond, voice laced with sarcasm, once again amusing only herself and Farah and utterly fail to entertain the stoic vampire who threw her a disapproving glare.

“What exactly do you mean by ‘next time’?”

She sighed, for what felt like the hundredth time today. Adam desperately needed at least a tiny dose of sense of humor.

“Relax, I was joking. I assume that when the maa-alused are relocated, they will not want to have any contact with humans, and as little contact with anyone else as possible. Especially after the fire.”

“Aww, don’t sound so sad, Ally,” Farah sauntered up to the Detective, hugging her from behind. “I’m sure Falk would be more than happy to make _contact_ with you.”

“Farah!” Now it was Allison’s turn to be outraged, but Farah just laughed and held her too tightly for her to turn around.

“Seriously. You are making the Detective uncomfortable,” Nate chastised her, even though that was an understatement of the century. The whole room was so uncomfortable the heavy feeling seemed to seep into the walls. Luckily, Rebecca decided it has gone on for long enough. 

“If you are finished...” she looked at Farah sternly, and the vampire almost sagged under her gaze, stalking back to her place at the table.

“As I have said - we are meeting here, tomorrow morning, 7am sharp. I expect you all to be on time. Dismissed.”

The part about being on time could not have been more obviously addressed to Farah, and Nate chuckled at her disgruntled reaction.

As Rebecca gathered her files, Allison noticed she left the sheet with pictures of the new maa-alused territory on the far side of the table, and she moved to pick it up and hand it back to her. The rest of the unit slowly left the room, Farah quietly muttering something about “not always being late” under her nose. Rebecca looked up, and smiled when she saw her daughter still standing in front of her.

“Ah, you have stayed. Good. I was actually hoping to talk to you alone after the meeting.”

Allison lowered her arm back to her side, already dreading the following conversation.

“Oh! Well, I have time now, we can talk,” she said, trying to sound as casual as she could.

Rebecca stayed quiet for a moment, leaning on the polished oak table, then stepped closer, obviously picking the right words to start with, only the rhythmical ticking of the grandfather clock cutting through the silence.

“So. It looks like you have made an impression on Falk. After saving Sanja and negotiating the peace treaty, I suppose I should not be surprised he seeks you out.”

She had a strange, wary look in her eyes as she said this, and Allison found herself struggling to formulate a coherent answer, sensing the hidden meaning behind her mother’s words.

“I’m not going to lie,” she laughed nervously. “I would also prefer that he...divides his attention a bit.”

“Would you really?” Rebecca asked carefully, the slightest hint of amusement sparking in her eyes, stunning Allison to silence.

“We have already established he doesn’t want to harm you – I believe you when you say he only wished to talk, but…when he visits, does he ask...strange questions? Do you feel at all uncomfortable in his presence?” at this, Allison opened her mouth to respond, but Rebecca stopped her with a raised hand.

“I’m not asking this as your boss - I have no doubts that you can take care of yourself in the field and knowing you are authorized to use some of Agency's arsenal helped calm some of my worries.” Her gaze grew soft and she reached out to gently place a hand on Allison’s shoulder. 

“I’m asking as your mother.”

The warm room suddenly felt constricting. That was the issue, wasn’t it. The more they worked together, Allison found herself more and more comfortable talking with Rebecca, the strain of their past, distant relationship loosening bit by bit. When it came to her job, she had no issues confiding in her. But as soon as her mother tried to push further into personal territory, Allison had a tendency to retreat back into neutral zone - as she did right now.

“I am careful in answering any of his questions - I never gave him any information you wouldn’t want me to - and don’t worry about me. It would make no sense for Falk to hurt me now. He would just jeopardize his relationship with the Agency.”

Judging by Rebecca’s reaction, it was obvious she did not answer her mother’s real question at all.

“Of course. If you are certain - I suppose I will see you tomorrow morning with the rest of the unit. Allison bit her lip, a sudden pang of guilt in her gut at her mother’s defeated tone, and with a nod of her head, turned to leave the meeting room, the sheet of paper forgotten in her hand.


	2. Chapter 2

It was almost midnight when the familiar sound of rippling water followed by soft footsteps disturbed the silence of Allison’s apartment. She was sitting in her kitchen, engrossed in one of the books on mythology which Nate graciously allowed her to borrow from his library, her tea cold and forgotten on the table next to her. From the chair she was perched on, she had a good view on the mirror in the bedroom, whose surface momentarily dissolved into silvery liquid and allowed an imposingly tall figure, dressed in long, midnight blue coat to pass through. 

No matter how many times this happened, the sight of a solid glass turning into a portal still made her shiver.

“Falk?” she asked, carefully placing the book on her table and standing up. She threw a quick glance towards the coat rack, where she kept her stun baton, feeling a bit safer.

“I have to wonder, Detective, how many people pass through this mirror, that you need to ask for my identity every time,” he responded, an amused smile tugging at his pale lips, his golden irises shining in the dim light.

Allison scoffed, avoiding his gaze as her heart sped up, “I am used to surprises by now. It’s always good to be prepared.”

Falk nodded, still smiling slightly and stepped out of the shadowed bedroom, face half-obscured by long strands of white hair, his hands clasped behind his back.

“You do not, however, seem surprised by my presence here tonight.”

“You mentioned you would be by again the last time you were here - I assumed it would be before the relocation.”

He raised one eyebrow, his smile falling a little, and Allison realized with a strange sense of satisfaction that almost made her chuckle, that he did not expect her to anticipate his return. He probably enjoyed catching her unawares - well, that would not happen today.

“You are correct. I have received a message from your Agency, that tomorrow my people will have a new home.”

She nodded, a professional smile settling on her face as she leaned against the kitchen counter, trying not to focus on the fact that being used to supernatural beings sauntering into her home at night was bizarre at best, alarming at worst. The entire scene appeared staged, with Falk looking as if he stepped right out of a fantasy novel, and her, dressed in a loose hoodie and sweatpants with her hair pulled into a ponytail, standing next to a sink full of dirty dishes.

“That’s right. But this is something Rebecca could give you more details on. I was supposed to remind you that the possibility to contact the Agency directly is still there.”

Falk let out a quiet laugh and slowly approached her, searching her face with such an intense gaze Allison felt her heart skipping a beat. It was inquisitive at first - he focused on her like a person trying to adjust to a dark room after having lights abruptly shut off, searching for something. Then, it shifted - turning into an appraisal, a different kind of judgement - one where he finally seemed to find what he was looking for.

“I did fulfill what I have promised to you. I have told you I would consider this option - and I did just so, finding I had more... draw to the alternative.”

There it was again, the not so subtle flirtation, making the air in the room feel warm and heavy as he dragged every sentence. She cleared her throat in an attempt to chase away her nerves and met his eyes, crossing her arms and thrusting her chin out in response to his challenge.

“That’s...very kind of you to say.”

“Kindness plays no part in this.”

If he was just teasing her, his voice betrayed nothing. All right then - all this time, she had brushed it off, steering the topic back to safe waters, but let’s see what happens when she plays game. She leaned forward with a smile, looking directly into Falk’s eyes, still trying to get used to their unnerving colors, the black and the gold.

“If not kindness, then what was it?”

Allison expected her remark would make him stammer, at least a little bit, but it seemed to have the opposite effect, as the corner of his mouth quirked up.

_Damn it._

“A bold question,” he almost purred, stepping even closer, his coat shimmering with many shades of deep blue. “Would you like me to answer it?” 

At this, he reached forward, gently taking her hand by the wrist and attempted to pull her closer. Feeling his sudden touch, Allison froze and gritted her teeth in anticipation of the searing pain. He had never touched her before, no matter how many times she felt he was about to - not since the time he and his people broke in and attacked Douglas. Not since she, for all her efforts to be civil, received a warning in a form of blistered and burnt skin from the same man that stood before her. Falk frowned, visibly confused.

“You are afraid.”

“Yeah well, the last time you touched me you almost melted my skin off.”

He lowered his gaze, looking at his hand still grasped around her arm, as if he had just remembered the incident.

“You were attempting to prevent me from leaving. You are doing no such thing now - not on purpose, at least,” he added the last part of the sentence in a tone barely louder than a whisper, moving his thumb up and down her wrist.

Allison felt her skin heating up, in spite of Falk’s cold touch, even as she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

_I see, His Majesty does not see the need to apologize._

It was difficult enough to persuade the maa-alused to remove the illness they inflicted around the city, she expected it would be impossible to make them feel guilty. As she watched the snow white fingers with their long black tips moving against her skin, she wondered why didn’t she put a stop to whatever was happening here. This was the leader of people who caused this city a lot of suffering, justifying it with an explanation that she would never find acceptable, no matter which way she tried to twist her moral compass. It was selfish and all kinds of inappropriate and most likely frowned upon by the Agency, but as soon as she snapped out of her panic, Falk’s touch started to feel dangerously pleasant.

“Strange,” he said suddenly, fixing her with his hawk-like gaze, his thumb still lightly stroking the sensitive skin on her inner wrist. “Your silence - it frustrates me, this unknowable, obscured depth you have inside. And still I feel your heartbeat telling me something.”

Allison winced at his words - it was truly unfair how despite being immune to most powers of supernatural creatures, there was no way for her to hide the way her body reacted. He was so close now she could almost feel his breath on her skin.

“I...I thought you came here for information, not just to tease me,” she managed to stammer as heat crept up her face, cursing herself to hell and back for her choice of words - ladies and gentlemen, the so-called diplomat of Unit Bravo.

Something angry flashed through Falk’s eyes, and he immediately let go of her hand and took a step back, towards the mirror he came through.

“Do you mock my intentions?” he almost hissed.

“What? No, I...I am not, trust me,” she raised her hands in front of her, desperately trying to get her point across as the right words finally saw it fit to return to her. Just as well, since she felt like exploding if she did not finally say this. “I just didn’t realize there were any intentions at all. We are allies now, right?”

Luckily, she stopped herself from saying what she really thought – that from the beginning she had assumed his intention was to throw her off so it would be easier to pull answers out of her.

As she spoke, she saw Falk’s eyes narrow more and more, but anger seemed to leave him, and he did not take another step back.

“So...” Allison bit her lip before continuing, “it is not mockery. I don’t want to mock you. I just...I truly cannot say what your intentions are. If you simply find my immunity to your powers fascinating, then I wish you wouldn’t....”

_Wouldn’t what, exactly?_

She hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath.

“...wouldn’t confuse me like this. Now...if there is something I can help with before tomorrow...”

A long silence stretched between them, growing more and more uncomfortable with each second. For a while, Falk did nothing, did not react in any way, merely looked to the side, seemingly lost in thoughts - Allison watched him nervously, mortified at her outburst, wondering just how much did she manage to screw up the peace talks. She expected the maa-alused leader to disappear through the mirror any second now. Still, it felt good to finally say something about the way he acted towards her.

“Hm.”

Falk’s voice interrupted the heavy silence, as he turned on his heel and took several steps towards the bedroom. When he spoke again, it was as if someone has flicked a switch.

“I did have a question for you, Detective. This place that is to be out home - what do you know about it? I do not appreciate having things kept from me.”

Allison let out a breath she did not even realize she was holding - this was finally something that was actually in her job description when it came to dealing with supernaturals.

“The secrecy is all part of the Agency’s protection. The less people know about it, the smaller the chance someone else will find the area. But...wait a moment,” she walked quickly to the briefcase slung over her armchair and rummaged inside for a while, before fishing out a single sheet of paper, covered with photographs - the document she completely forgot to return to Rebecca. Just having this outside the Agency headquarters was definitely against all kinds of rules, but she figured there was no harm in letting Falk see it, as long as it didn’t leave this room.

“Here,” she outstretched her arm towards him, and when he made no move no move to take the document from her hand, she instead stepped closer, holding the paper in front of her.

“This is it. Your new home. Well, a picture of it, at least.”

Falk leaned forward, his long finger tracing the silhouette of the green mountains and the white cliff side, shading a part of the sun-dappled meadow. All of a sudden, a smile appeared on his lips - a kind Allison has never seen on him before, a genuine, warm expression without a hint of arrogance or mocking, that softened his entire face. She could not help but watch him, fascinated.

“A home...it has been a long time since we could call any place this name.”

“Well, I hope this place will meet your expectations. Something to look forward to for tomorrow,” she responded, finding it impossible not to smile in return as Falk continued to study the photographs. “There was a home before, right? Did it look similar to this place?” she continued carefully, figuring he might be in a mood to answer at least some of her questions.

“An age ago. It is almost lost to my memory, the wandering all we knew for many years.”

His voice was heavy with barely concealed sadness and though she was right next to him, it felt as if he was just talking to himself. 

“We called it Maakahvatu, a far-reaching city deep underground. I remember...the limestone halls, the pools of crystal clear water, the chambers with walls covered in shimmering crystals - but of all things, I remember the old, tall elms planted at its entrance the most, as they were the last thing I saw of it.”

Allison listened quietly, trying to control the questions whirling around in her head. This was the most Falk has ever said to her, or anyone in the Agency about the past of him and his people, as far as she was aware - but the sincerity of this moment felt fragile like a thin sheet of ice. One wrong move and it would break under her feet. 

She expected him to continue, but instead he fell quiet, his gaze falling from the picture. He looked almost lost. Vulnerable.

“I’m sorry,” she started quietly, placing the photo on the kitchen table. “I hope your people can finally find peace.” 

Caught in the moment, she did what became an instinct to her, whenever she had to deliver bad news to citizens of Wayhaven, or comfort witnesses - she gently placed her hand on Falk’s arm, the fabric of his sleeve smooth under her fingertips. He searched her face for an instant, his expression unreadable, then returned the gesture, his hand slowly dragging up her shoulder to rest on the back of her neck, the feather-light touch making her shiver. 

“Falk, I...” she startled and briefly shook her head, her voice coming out barely as a croak, but he spoke before she could continue.

“We will see. Although I do feel that my people will have peace here, and our heart, Sanja, will be happy,” he said slowly, stepping so close to Allison that she had to crane her neck to see into his eyes. His other hand moved around her waist, gently tugging her closer almost urgently until she was pressed against him. The contact took her by surprise, causing a quiet gasp to leave her mouth. No - this whole situation, it was wrong, it was dangerous - then why, damn it, didn't she push him away?

“But I would have one more thing to be content.”

A sudden flash of anger passed through her, as quickly as a lightning bolt. Wait a second. Would _have_? This arrogant, this entitled...supernatural, he thinks he has some kind of claim on her, just because she occasionally fell for his flirting?

But before Allison managed to tear herself away in outrage, she felt cool lips lightly press against the top of her head, with such tenderness it stopped her in her tracks, making her inhale sharply in surprise.

“Hmm. You feel...so warm,” he murmured into her hair, slowly moving his mouth to her forehead, then her temple, the contact almost sending sparks through her veins. 

She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch as her anger all but disappeared, overwhelmed by the scent of damp earth, smoke and something else, faint and almost flowery sweet she could not place that seemed to emanate from his skin, hearing almost nothing except for the sound of her own heartbeat.

“To...to you, I suppose I must feel like that,” she breathed out, barely registering what she was saying, reaching up to place her hands on his shoulders to steady herself as her legs threatened to give out from under her, even as he held her tightly to his chest.  
Falk fell silent, his lips moving to lightly caress the tip of her ear, his eyes almost closed in apparent contentment, the hand resting on her neck slowly shifting to its side, thumb gliding over her racing pulse, down to her collarbone. 

A pool of heat coiled in her stomach, gradually traveling lower and lower, until she had to bite her lip to stifle a sigh as the hand that held her close slipped under her clothes, tracing a line up her back. An almost overwhelming urge to lean forward and press her mouth to his neck, where the skin was bare above the embroidered collar took over her, and she swallowed hard at the thought.

“Tell me, Detective...” he whispered, his mouth so close to her ear, she grasped the fabric under her fingers a bit tighter as the contact made her shiver.

“...all these nights we were alone. Did you never wonder what else is there to do, instead of talking?”

At that moment, she almost hated him - it wasn’t fair how he could shatter her resolve with a single question.

_Yes I did. I did more than wonder. Every damn night since you decided to appear._

All of a sudden, she felt a faint, but sharp sting of pain, as his sharp fingernail unwittingly caught the scar from Murphy s bite. Allison abruptly jerked her head back, instinctively pushing Falk’s hand away to cover the still sensitive area. The shock woke her up from her dazed state enough to realize what was happening. 

She silently cursed herself for being this careless, leaving herself completely exposed to an attack – this went against everything she was taught at the academy, everything all the dangerous situations she found herself in since joining the Agency showed her. It wasn’t even the pain - it was the memory of Murphy’s teeth ripping into her neck, still too fresh in her mind that returned her back to reality, even as her heart threatened to leap out of her chest.

Falk frowned, his hands falling back to his sides. It might have been just the trick of light, but the faintest flush appeared on his pale skin, and when he spoke his voice was uneven and almost breathless.

“Was that painful?”

“Just...a scar. Several months old, but it still stings a bit.”

“A scar from a battle?” 

She smiled faintly, willing her heartbeat to calm down.

“You could say that. Just a souvenir from a mission that could have gone better.”

While the healers at the Agency did a really good job mending the gnarly wound and reducing the scarring to a minimum, it still had a tendency to ache whenever it was too cold outside, and the skin around it was still sensitive. The doctors assured her however, that the pain was a good sign of nerves regenerating properly and that it was nothing to be worried about.

“Not a battle with humans.” It was not a question, but a statement.

“No, not with humans,” Allison paused, wondering how much was safe to tell him. 

“A rogue vampire has decided to pick Wayhaven as his hunting grounds. Luckily, we managed to stop him, but I got this,” she pointed to her neck, “as a gift from him.”

_Along with an involuntary blood transfusion and never ending nightmares._

Falk's hand reached up - this time not to touch her, but to briefly place it on his own shoulder.

"I wonder if the wounds and scars we carry will ever let us forget," he said, his voice low and distant.

For just a moment, Allison was confused at his use of "us", but then she recalled the Trappers' attack on his people. The state the maa-alused were in, bloody and covered in burns, it must have left quite a few wounds on Falk's body as well, now hidden under his clothes. Under...

_No. Don't you dare finish that thought. Don't think about him without clothes. Do not imagine it._

Allison was so concentrated on silently berating herself she almost missed Falk's next words.

“I suppose this _vampiir_ was not offered a peace like my people were.”

“There was an attempt. But he refused and continued killing people, so there was no other choice but to take him in. He did put up quite a fight.”

Falk’s eyes narrowed for a moment, as if something in her answer hit a sore spot.

“Is this what would have happened to us, should we refuse your Agency’s treaty?”

For a moment, Allison wasn’t sure how to answer - if they refused to stop their judgement, if they kept terrifying the citizens of Wayhaven by appearing in their mirrors at night and infecting them with their disease...It was certainly a situation that might have very easily happened. It would be enough for Falk to decide he had no interest in meeting with them, or for Sanja to die at the hands of the Trappers. It was a miracle that things have worked out the way they did. But then, the image of a young boy with his throat ripped out, a school backpack flung in a dark alley and the desperate eyes of his mother entered her mind. 

She took a deep breath, carefully picking her next words.

“It would depend on the circumstances. What happened with the rogue vampire was an extreme situation. A lot of people died because of him, and he never intended to stop, or negotiate. A vampire like that, running free ...it would cause a lot of suffering.” She took great care to omit any details about her role in Murphy’s experiments or the fact that he was after a specific kind of blood, which just so happened she had running through her veins as well. Kept barely alive as a human blood bank, tied up somewhere in an underground lab for the rest of her life...it was enough to see this possibility in her nightmares. 

She hesitated, but decided to add something. 

“That being said...if you decided to attack, we would have to defend ourselves. We protect our people - human, supernatural, just the way you protect yours.”

Falk arched a brow at her statement, but nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer - then smirked, as if he remembered something especially amusing.

“I find it interesting, that in spite of this, those who are the closest to you in your Agency are all vampires.”

Allison shrugged, briefly glancing at the framed copy of a police academy certificate hanging above her couch. “I have a scar on my arm from a bullet wound - a human fired it. If I judged an entire race based on acts of individuals, it would be impossible to trust anyone.”

At least it felt like a better answer than ‘well, I did shoot one of them as a way to say hello, the first time I met them, that’s just what I do when I meet someone I don’t immediately recognize in a dark warehouse’.

She almost didn’t notice that Falk reached out to gently take her by the arm, leading her from the kitchen.

“There is some resemblance between us at last,” he said, a knowing smile settling on his face as he took a step back, clearly expecting her to follow him to her bedroom. Allison was, at this point used to Falk leaving just the way he arrived - suddenly, most of the time without an explanation, but he never felt the need to involve her in it. 

She let herself be led towards the tall mirror on the wall, a solid surface reflecting the dimly lit room with no indication that anything, or anyone could pass through it like an open door.

“I suppose you and your people need to prepare,” she started, hoping the tinge of sadness in her voice wasn’t noticeable. “If there is anything else you need...”

She was about to finish with the standard spiel about her and the rest of the unit being available to help, but Falk slowly turned to face her, dragging his gaze down her body, then, so quickly she almost missed it, glanced to her bed, a faint smile tugging at his lips. It was enough to stop her dead in her tracks, the rest of the sentence disappearing into silence.

He reached towards her, his hand coming to rest on her cheek. It was difficult to see, as his dark eyes without visible pupils could tell her nothing she would ordinarily be able to detect in a human, but the way he lingered gave her the impression he was reluctant to leave. The same way she, as Allison realized with concern, didn’t want to let him go. Then, his usual confident half-smile settled on his face, and he withdrew his hand.

“Maybe I will take you up on your offer, Detective.”

In an instant, he turned around, and left as abruptly as he arrived, the glass pane still rippling as Allison stood there frozen, Falk’s last sentence still resonating in her ears. Heat crept up her face as the double meaning finally made its way to her brain.

“Ugh...” she flung herself on the unmade bed and pressed the nearest pillow to her face, her heart hammering in her chest. It was impossible - it was completely unbelievable and inappropriate, not to mention unprofessional, but right now, she knew that there was a whole another way she wanted to use this bed. It didn’t matter. After tomorrow, she wouldn’t have to deal with his nightly visits anymore. 

Suddenly remembering how late it was, Allison rolled over, craning her neck to see her alarm clock. 

Two in the morning. 

She was supposed to be up in four hours - and the adrenaline coursing through her veins and a whirling mess of confused thoughts floating around in her head told her that sleep wouldn’t be happening anytime soon. This was all way above her paygrade. She pressed the pillow against her face again, groaning a single, muffled word.

“Fuck.”


	3. Chapter 3

“I’m sure that if you shake that thing enough, new coffee will magically appear inside.” Farah nudged Allison with her elbow, a wide grin sitting on her face.

“Right now I’d give all my savings to have something like that,” Allison groaned in response, finally giving up the determination to squeeze every last drop of coffee out of her thermos, tucking it back into her bag. 

It was terrible. She slept for about two hours, and miserably at that, constantly tossing around and waking up from dreams that she did not remember, but that left her breathless and covered in sweat. To make matters worse, she managed to oversleep and had to drive through the city at breakneck speed to make it to the meeting point on time. It was lucky that she did not have to drive to their actual destination all the way from Agency's headquarters, because she kept pinching herself awake on the passenger seat, barely keeping up with or remembering the conversation in the car.

The last part of the trip had to be managed on foot – three small groups split apart from one another, keeping in contact with hidden communicators. At least the trek had managed to wake her up a bit. It was early afternoon and the weather was almost perfect - it was warm, the sky clear of clouds, but a cool wind made sure the air wouldn’t become too hot. Allison took a deep breath, taking in the scent of the forest, trying her best to push through the sleep deprivation and enjoy her surroundings. 

The further they went, the wilder the land appeared – the trees seemed to grow taller and thicker, all kinds of birds chirped away high in the canopy, the towering rock walls covered in moss and lichen rose above their heads with narrow pathways between them, and several times they had to cross a rushing river, as there was no bridge in sight. Lucky for her, she did not have to wade through the cold water and risk slipping and breaking her neck, as Nate very gallantly offered to carry her over to the other side. An advantage of being a supernatural she came to be almost jealous of, as the long trek with a heavy travel pack strapped to her shoulders made her entire body ache, and she still considered herself to be in good shape – for a human, that is. 

On each side of her, the rest of the Unit Bravo seemed to have no problems, _of course_ , even as they each carried at least ten times her pack’s weight – Nate really seemed to be in his element, visibly relaxed and speaking very little, enjoying the sparse rays of warm sunlight filtered through the branches. Morgan and Adam looked less tense too, even as Morgan occasionally scanned the surrounding shrubbery and Adam periodically checked in with other teams through his communicator. Farah, on the other hand, became bored with the beautiful scenery almost immediately and chattered nonstop.

“Ugh, this is dull! I liked it way better when we were dealing with the dryads - they were so easy on the eyes. Or the mermaids! It was so much more fun lazing around on a beach than traipsing through all this green…stuff.”

“If I remember correctly, you were the only one of us ‘lazing around’, as you called it,” Nate turned around, an amused expression on his face.”

“Well, it took me an hour to style my hair that morning and it takes ages to dry!”

“You guys really worked with mermaids? Actual mermaids?” Allison asked, surprised.

“You bet! Although they looked a bit different than you would probably imagine,” Farah grinned, skipping ahead, then turning around to face her. 

“Less ‘shell bras’, more ‘multiple rows of sharp teeth’,” and she bared and clacked her own teeth several times as a demonstration.

“How far are we now?” Morgan turned to Adam.

“About two more miles north-east. The other two groups are already in place by now, as well as the maa-alused.”

Allison threw him an apologetic smile. “I bet they don’t have a human slowing them down.”

Adam actually smirked at that - it was faint, but still visible. “One does, actually - your mother. But some of the routes leading there are more direct.”

“What? Why, whyyy did we get the longest one,” Farah whined, her whole body sagging down. For several blissful minutes, she stayed quiet – but that didn’t last long.

“I also want to know how to travel through mirrors to go places,” the idea seemed to have perked her up a bit and she sauntered closer to Allison, “then I could also pay Ally surprise visits at night.”

“I’m sure I’d end up having to take down not only all my mirrors but also windows, if you knew how to do that,” Allison grinned, but could not stop the somersault her heart did at the mention of any mirror-related night visits. If the four vampires noticed, they said nothing.

The last two mile long part of the trek went by quickly - the terrain grew less steep, the last mile being just a pleasant stroll through a beautiful grove, where birches grew so thick on each side of the path they almost formed natural walls. Then, the tree line opened before them, and a vast, grassy plain lined with tall, rocky cliff side appeared on the other side, as if by magic.

The space was mostly empty, save for several moving figures - it was almost strange seeing Agency’s people side-by-side with the maa-alused, most of whom still looked around the place in wonder and disbelief. A group of them simply stood with their heads turned towards the blazing sun, looking like ghosts with their pale skin and white hair in the middle of all that green. Almost directly in the middle of the meadow stood Sanja, her normally grayish brown curls now appearing almost golden, warmth radiating from her like starlight. Next to her was a tall man, dressed in silvery black tunic with green sash, his white hair obscuring a part of his face - Falk watched his people with a contented smile on his face, unaware of their presence. 

“We’re here!” Farah yelled loudly and dropped her bags at her feet, causing all the heads to turn to face their group. Allison made a pointed effort to look anywhere but towards Falk - luckily, at Farah’s greeting, Rebecca came rushing towards the unit. Allison almost didn’t recognize her at first - it was strange seeing her mother in anything else than her crisp suit and high heels - although even her more practical clothes looked pristine and stylish.

“Good. I see you have made it without incident,” she smiled, looking over them.

“Of course. There were no problems along the way,” Adam responded, looking around - it was evident the area impressed even him. “Where would you like us to place the bags?” 

Rebecca pointed towards the cliff’s overhang, where a large cavern entrance was hidden by the shade. “Start by carrying them over there. We will unpack, then do a sweep of the surrounding area.”

“Roger! Last one there’s a rotten egg!” Farah grinned, and took off so fast she became a just blurred shape in the distance. Surprisingly, Morgan followed after her - but in her case, it was likely less about the competition, more about getting away from the sunlight.

“Wow, didn’t hear that one since kindergarten,” Allison chuckled, adjusting a strap that cut into her shoulder. 

Rebecca sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead.

“Someone please keep an eye on Farah. I still need to take care of things here.”

“Don’t worry, we’re on the case,” she nodded and headed the way Farah disappeared, with Adam and Nate walking slowly by her sides.

“I believe she’ll make a fine first impression for some of the maa-alused who didn’t directly interact with anyone in the Agency before,” Nate said with a warm smile. Adam frowned at his reaction.

“They did not bother with good first impressions - I see no reason why should we.”

He barely finished the sentence, when the group noticed Sanja and Falk heading towards them - Sanja with her mysterious smile that seemed to illuminate everything around her, Falk immediately directing his piercing gaze towards Allison. It was easier to plaster a professional smile on her face here, out in the open in the middle of day, surrounded by other people (one of whom just so happened to be her mother) than it was last night in her apartment, even as her heart raced. 

She could do this. No problem at all!

“Welcome, friends. I am glad to see you all,” Sanja spoke first, her strangely bright, topaz blue eyes shining, wild curls dancing around her face. Nate smiled in return, bowing his head slightly in greeting.

“Thank you Sanja, it is wonderful to see you well. I sincerely hope that you are finding this place to your liking.”

Sanja reached out a hand, gently placing it on Nate’s arm.

“There is an old, quiet beauty here - it is wonderful. But it has to be said that I am also overjoyed you have recovered from your injuries. I have heard how serious they were, and that you received them rescuing me.”

”There is no need to be concerned - it was worth the injuries to save you.”

Allison eyed Nate, a sudden rush of guilt flooding her chest. Always the gentleman, worrying about everyone else before even considering himself. It was her fault - he was the one who took the brunt of the Trappers’ attacks, just so she and Morgan could focus on rescuing Sanja. The image of his limp body, covered in burns and deep gashes that refused to heal were never very far from her thoughts. The kindest person in Unit Bravo, the one who immediately made her feel welcome in the Agency, the one she had no qualms about calling her friend. He could have died because of her decision. The hours of waiting for news about his recovery were one of the hardest in her life - and still he took every opportunity to tell her, that she did the right thing. 

Sometimes, she almost believed him.

“Detective. It has been a while,” Falk’s voice brought her back to present, and she looked up to see an almost playful smile on his face. She couldn’t help but match his expression - a while he said. It had been barely several hours since he left her apartment. 

“Hello Falk. Glad to see your people are settling in.” Her voice did not come out quite as confident as she thought, but with the memories of last night rushing in, she felt lucky there was no stammering involved.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Adam’s gaze shift from her to Falk and tighten his jaw.

“Come on, slowpokes!” a loud voice rang from the distance - Farah stood near the cave’s entrance, jumping up and down and waving her arms. Several maa-alused walking past threw curious glances her way.

“She is right - we better go. There is still much left to do,” Nate briefly placed a hand on Adam’s shoulder, beckoning his head towards the cave. He seemed reluctant to go, still eyeing Falk warily.

“Go on, _vampiir_ ,” Falk almost sneered at him, something in his icy tone reminding Allison of a trainer giving a command to a dog - if not for Nate immediately jumping in and pulling Adam to the side, Allison worried how the situation might have escalated.

“I will join you – the underground can be confusing to navigate, even for those such as you,” Sanja graciously offered, briefly placing her hand on Falk’s shoulder, offering him a quick smile before following the two vampires, her long earth-colored skirt trailing after her in the tall grass. 

Allison hesitated before joining them, glancing at Falk – he watched the three figures leave, his features relaxed. He looked more content than she has ever seen him before, the breeze tugging at his hair, his marble white skin darkening the slightest amount under the blazing sun.

“So, do you think the pictures did the reality justice?” Allison asked with a smile, adjusting the bag on her shoulders and slowly started to make her way across the meadow towards the cave– Falk followed, walking next to her and keeping close.

“I must say, the reality is larger by some amount,” he responded, making her chuckle – the joke took her by surprise.

“Your Agency has kept their word, and we will keep ours. Sanja’s safety – and the fact that she has decided to stay with us, all played a part,” Falk continued, his voice growing more serious. Allison arched a brow - she still did not understand what exactly the woman was to the maa-alused. She was not their kind, that much was visible, but she clearly wasn’t a human either. There was something old and otherworldly to her appearance, reminding her of classical paintings of seers and goddesses of nature.

“Was her staying in doubt?”

“It depended on…many things,” was his mysterious answer, as he halted to stop and turned to face her an almost somber expression on his face.

“You had impressed her - almost as much as you have impressed me. That has not gone unnoticed - and now, even the leader of the rogue supernaturals knows.”

Allison frowned, remembering the shock of learning of an existence of this person during one of Falk’s visits.

“That sounds like bad news. Did she contact you again?”

He simply nodded. “She approached us shortly before we arrived here. As for her intentions, I cannot say - but you should be wary of her. She is dangerous and ruthless - not someone you can afford to make light of”

As far as answers go, this one was more on the vague side, so she decided to push further.

“What is it exactly that she knows? Is it only the fact that the you and your people...respect me?”

“That - and more,” he responded with a quirk of his mouth.

Allison held his gaze for a while, thinking back on the way this all started - the carnival, the house of mirrors, the strange sickness - never in her wildest dreams would she guess that the leader of the people she had considered their enemies would be standing before her, proclaiming his admiration - and even less what happened next. He leaned towards her, taking hold of her shoulder to pull her closer.

“Come with me. There is something I wish to show you.”

Barely waiting a second for her answer, Falk took lead, slowly heading towards the cliff side - not the main entrance, as the cave system seemed to have several smaller, less visible ones, barely larger than crevices from the distance.

“Wait, Falk I still have to...” she reached for the bag strap, but her hand only grasped air, as a heavy weight was suddenly lifted from her shoulders.

“What the...”

“Too slow,” a whisper brushed past her ear and a small figure dashed around her laughing, her backpack triumphantly above her head. 

“Farah!” Allison called after her in mock outrage, debating whether to chase after her. In the end, she simply shook her head, a faint smile on her lips, and nodded to Falk when he wordlessly inclined for her to follow.

There was quite a lot of movement around the main cave entrance, but nobody seemed to use the one they took to enter. The moment they stepped inside, the sunlight was swallowed by its darkness , a damp, earthy scent replacing the fresh air. She thought they would join the other maa-alused, but this cave seemed to run separate from the rest, seeing as she saw nobody else. The passage was too narrow for them to walk next to each other, so she let Falk take the lead, occasionally glancing behind her, where the slit of light slowly disappeared, wondering what the hell was she doing. 

As they descended further, Allison pulled her jacket tighter around her body - the deeper they went, the more she missed the warmth of the surface. Falk seemed to have no such issues.

After several more minutes, the narrow path opened into a larger chamber, and Allison blinked several times, trying to adjust to the growing darkness - imposing stalactites hung from the ceiling, thin streams of water flowing down the rocky walls and gathering in small, round pools surrounding the space.

“It’s really beautiful - looks like a whole another world down here,” she muttered, her voice echoing in the chamber.

“You might wish to save this awe for a while longer,” Falk’s voice resonated close to her ear as he led her further away, towards what looked like a dark hallway declining deeper in. At this point, it was difficult to even recognize basic shapes, the sliver of light from outside disappearing completely. Looking down the tunnel was like staring down a deep well.

“Just a second - I can’t see in the dark like you do, I need some light here,” Allison stopped and fumbled around her belt for a flashlight and hoped she didn’t left it tucked in her bag, before a pale hand gently took her own.

“Follow me - I will show you a way through. The place is not far from here.”

She slowly looked from the tunnel entrance to Falk’s face, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not see his expression, only the hollow golden circles in his eyes that seemed to have a faint light of their own. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep finally getting to her, but the sight of her guide, the stifling darkness and cold air summoned an image of the dead descending into the mythical underworld. 

“What kind of place? Falk I cannot simply disappear from the rest of the unit like this.” She wasn’t sure if the communicators would even work here, and although Farah saw her leave, there was no telling if she could even find her here.

“Trust me, Detective.”

Trust. 

Bold words coming from a man, who, according to his own words, trusted almost no one. His secrecy made tension coil around in her chest. She was definitely crazy for even being here, alone in an unknown space, with no weapons and no backup, with only Falk’s word to rely on. She bit her lip - he was asking for a lot more than trust, this was a literal leap of faith, straight into a dark chasm. Could she really do this? Just because she was curious, because she secretly wanted nothing more than spend at least a little bit more time with him, or because the leader of the maa-alused might have been many things, but he was not a liar?

In the end, she hesitantly took a step forward, and the hand wrapped around her arm steadily led her on.

As they entered the dark tunnel, Allison could see nothing, except for a faint glimpse of Falk’s white hair - with her free hand, she blindly searched the space around her, sometimes managing to reach a rock wall, but mostly flailing around empty-handed. The humid air made strands of damp hair stick to her face and neck and their footsteps sounded unnaturally loud in the surrounding silence. Whenever she stumbled on the uneven floor, Falk steadied her, walking slowly to match her pace. 

The descent seemed to take ages, minutes stretching into what felt like hours. It was stupid not to use her light - she hated being completely deprived of one of her senses.

Gradually, a hint of a soft, almost golden light appeared somewhere in front of them - she began to see the silhouettes of the cave walls, as the narrow corridor grew wider and taller.

All of a sudden, they turned sharply to the left – the passage opened up before them, and she stepped into a place she thought was an illusion.

They found themselves in a space so vast it looked like an inside of a cathedral - the walls covered in dancing shadows climbed to impossible heights, almost closing above them in a dome far above their heads, but leaving a wide gap through which rays of sunlight streamed down. An old tree must have been growing near it, as roots like vines clung to the ceiling with patches of moss and fern hanging from it like tattered curtains, spreading over the walls like a spiderweb - almost all to the way to an amazingly clear lake, the color of a robin’s egg.

In its center stood a tiny island, several young birches growing where the light touched it, a number of flat white stones rising from the lake’s mirror-like surface forming a scattered path towards it. From where they stood, she could hear a silent chirping of birds and wind rustling in the trees from above. It was a mesmerizing sight, and Allison stared wide-eyed at the scenery, taking several steps towards the water’s edge through the shoreline as Falk let go of her arm. 

“It’s...I have no words. I never knew a place like this could exist,” Allison breathed out as her voice came back in quiet echoes, craning her neck to take in the space.

“Is it not a shame that words often leave us when we face something deserving so many of them,” Falk stepped closer to her side, his gaze fixed on Allison’s awe-struck face. When she glanced at him, she was stunned by its intensity, almost forgetting about the incredible sight in front of her.

“Sometimes they just…get in the way,” she chanced to say, a playful tone inching its way to her voice before she could stop herself. An almost mischievous spark seemed to have lit up Falk’s eyes for the briefest moment, before he smiled and leaned closer, taking her hands in his own. The rippling water cast strange shadows on his pale skin, the silver strands in his black tunic shimmering in the dim light. This time, she thought, she was the one who must have looked out of place.

“Sanja had shown me this place, moments before you had arrived. She said the birch trees are messengers of new beginnings - a sign of hope.”

“That is quite some luck, having a new home that welcomes you this way,” Allison turned her head away to the small island in the heart of the lake - but an insistent hand gently touched her chin, turning her head back. It became apparent to her that Falk wanted her attention on him and nowhere else.

“But I did not lead you here only to show you this cavern,” he paused and her heart sped up. “I assume that very soon, your aggressive teammate will tear the walls down looking for you, or send someone in his stead. That does not give me the time I want with you.”

Allison arched a brow at his bold statement, heat slowly spread on her skin like a warm blanket. She wanted to feel irritation at his assumption that her team was all that keeping her from throwing herself at him, that she did not have enough restraint to avoid it by herself - but she couldn’t.

“You are serious, aren’t you,” she muttered, glancing briefly down at their joined hands - the thought made her shiver. The teasing, the touches - did she, all this time, underestimate what they meant to him?

“And you are doubting me - again.”

She sighed. It was impossible to express her uncertainty without, somehow, hurting Falk’s pride - so she might as well be as blunt as he was

“Of course I am. Don’t you think it’s better to doubt and be proven wrong, than reach a conclusion that turns out to be incorrect?”

Falk narrowed his eyes, his smile fading a bit.

"I have no need to lie. You humans - you seem to always assume so much, being blind to other's guilt. I could not imagine what that is like - until I met you."

Allison met his gaze, trying to understand what it must be like, having a blind spot where there was none before.

"You are right - we humans," she mimicked his tone of voice, "have to use our other senses to determine who to trust."

The corner of his mouth quirked up and he stepped even closer, barely any space between their bodies left.

“So it is a confirmation you are looking for.”

She swallowed hard at his words, her thoughts a mess. A rational person have stepped away, turned around and ran back to the surface to find her team, but the place itself seemed to scream at her _Why did you come here? Why else did you follow him?_

“Yes,” she whispered, the cavern wall sending quiet echoes of her voice through the chamber.

Falk let go of her for a moment, slowly moving his hands up her arms and neck, careful to avoid the scar on its right side, to cradle her face in them. 

As he leaned in, Allison closed her eyes, the heavy air around then almost humming with anticipation.

“Ally...signal....on her way...sorry, couldn’t...”

The sudden burst of loud static and teared up fragments of a sentence in her ear almost made her jump.

“Damn it...” she muttered, tearing the offending object away. Falk stared at the small earpiece, a mix of irritation and confusion on his face.

“There was a voice calling to you from that.”

“Yes I...it’s a remote communicator. I think it was Farah’s voice, and someone is apparently on her way.” 

_I’d bet anything it’s Morgan._

Usually, these communicators had no issue with distance, but perhaps something in this place was interrupting the signal - no surprise they sent someone looking when they couldn’t reach her.

She turned away from him and shook her head, running a hand through her damp hair. “I have to go. I shouldn’t have separated myself from the unit in the first place, I shouldn’t do...this”

Falk remained quiet, and she avoided facing him, instead looking at her own distorted reflection on the lake’s surface, willing herself to just walk away, back to her team, back to doing her actual job and not acting like a hormone-driven teenager. 

Her hands shook. 

A second reflection of a tall man in dark clothes soon joined hers, much clearer and more defined - she saw it reach for her reflection’s hand and felt its touch, then pressed something to her palm, closing her fingers around the object.

Allison glanced at Falk standing next to her, a question creasing her brow. She looked at the long piece of fabric, about as wide as a ribbon, sitting in her hand. It didn’t seem to be made of one piece of cloth, but rather tightly woven of hundreds of thin strands of red, silver and gold, forming an intricate, braided pattern.

“What is this?” At first glance, it looked like a belt, the kind that tied around a waist without a buckle, and a beautiful one at that.

“It is a choice,” he said, a faint smile curving his mouth. “It can simply be a parting gift, given out of gratitude - but it can also your answer to a question I posed you last night.”

Heat crept up Allison’s face as she recalled what he had asked, seconds before he touched her scar.

“How can this be an answer? Will it...change color if it is 'yes'?” she smirked, making a weak attempt at a joke. 

“No,” Falk briefly shook his head, taking the long end of the fabric and tracing its pattern with his fingers, until he reached her hand. “But if you hang it on your mirror tonight, and I will.”

“You will? And then…”

“I would visit you again.”

She quickly looked between him and the belt, her pulse hammering at her temples. So this was...what, an equivalent of a lit candle on a windowsill at night? A summoning beacon? The belt suddenly seemed warm and heavy in her hands, but she almost chuckled at the thought that this was probably the most intricate way of inviting someone to her bed she had ever seen. Sometimes, her eyes had to be forcibly opened to the fact that she was not dealing with a human being - this gesture fit better in an old folk story than in her reality.

Allison turned to face Falk, the thought putting a careful smile on her face.

“You know, asking me again might also work.”

“What would you have responded?” he asked, watching her the same way he did last night, before he left through the mirror - curiosity and admiration mixed with a strange kind of sadness. 

She had no idea what made her this bold - whether it was the cavern feeling like another world, the dim light that made everything seem so surreal, or the looming threat of Morgan discovering her any moment now - Allison closed the distance between them and tentatively leaned in, slowly brushing her lips against his. 

Even this feather-light contact made her shiver and she felt Falk breathe out in surprise, before his hands fell to her waist and he pulled her close, opening his mouth slightly to deepen the kiss.  
It surprised her how warm he felt, how quickly he managed to take control of something she initiated, gradually turning the almost innocent kiss into something heavier and hungrier. 

She didn’t expect to feel it all so strongly - her heart beating as fast as if it was trying to break its way out of her ribcage, her whole body desperately trying to get as close to him as possible as a wave of desire flooded her veins, wanting, needing more and more. It was too much, too fast, it was...

She broke the kiss first, her eyes still closed for several seconds as she tried to calm her breathing. When she opened them again, a strange expression has settled on Falk’s face, as if he did not quite believe what she just dared, but wanted nothing more than her doing it again.

All of a sudden, someone behind her has loudly cleared their throat - before she could turn around however, Falk stepped forward and tightly wrapped his hand around her arm, glaring at someone she couldn’t see.

 _“Jatä, vampiir,”_ he almost sneered - at this she twisted around and saw Morgan, leaning against the nearby rock wall, staring Falk down.

“I get the picture,” she smirked in response, putting her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket.

“I’m just a messenger, here to deliver the Detective to surface.”

Allison sighed, but turned to face her, glancing at Falk who reluctantly let go of her arm.

“Sure. Let’s...let’s go back.”

Taking a steadying breath she tucked the belt into her pocket and walked up to Morgan, trying her best to hide the embarrassment on being picked up like a runaway child. When she look behind her for the last time, she saw Falk standing at the edge of the shoreline, a lone figure facing the calm lake.


	4. Chapter 4

“You’re welcome, by the way,” Morgan grinned as they began the ascent up the dark tunnel. This time, Allison turned on her flashlight, lowering the light level way down to stop Morgan from complaining that the glare would burn her eyes out.

“Can I thank you some other time? I’m not really in the mood right now,” Allison scoffed.

“You looked plenty in the mood back there,” she laughed, putting a cigarette between her lips and fumbling with a lighter. Allison rolled her eyes, instead focusing on not tripping on the uneven floor. She knew she had no reason to be angry at Morgan - a teammate leaves the range of communicators, another goes to find him. Logical. Reasonable. Still, a very small part of her kept repeating "not fair, not fair", like a pouty child.

“How did you even find me?”

“Are you kidding me? I could hear your heartbeat from a mile away. Shit...this thing won’t light,” she frowned, clicking the spark wheel again and again - her frustration bringing Allison some measure of satisfaction. 

“That’s convenient. By the way, why should I be thanking you? I was planning to return by myself, believe it or not.”

Morgan gave up on trying the light the cigarette with an annoyed sigh and stuffed it back into her pocket before answering her.

“’Cause Adam was raring to go himself.”

She widened her eyes, as the image of the unit leader barging in on her and Falk popped into her mind. The animosity between those two would not make a good mix - in any case, he would have made a much bigger deal out of it.

“Alright,” she admitted, pushing her hair away from her eyes. “Maybe you’re right. I should be thanking you.”

“Sure. Now let’s hurry and get out of here - it’s freezing in these damn caves.”

“I think I could find my own way - then you could run up ahead, you know, to get warm,” Allison turned around, smirking.

“Nice try, but no chance.”

“Let me guess - Adam’s orders?”

Morgan narrowed her eyes, a wolfish grin settling on her lips.

“He thinks Falk somehow got you under his influence.”

Allison scoffed in disbelief, turning back to the visibly amused vampire.

“I hope you were kind enough to tell him that’s not true.”

Morgan just shrugged, picking up pace. “Not my problem.”

_In 'Morgan', that roughly equals 'More fun if I don't'_

For several minutes they walked in silence - luckily the path was straightforward, and after some time Allison could make out a sliver of sunlight coming from up ahead.

“So - what is it with you two? You already had plenty of time to do any fooling around, don’t see why you needed privacy today.”

Allison just kept walking, face pointedly turned away from Morgan - she realized she liked her way more when she was quiet than in one of her rare chatty moods.

“It’s not important. We’re leaving soon anyway.”

It sounded simple enough in her head - case closed, Falk’s people safe, citizens of Wayhaven healthy again. No matter how hard she tried, she could not see any reason why should she need to ever see him again. It was a pleasant fantasy, whatever it was that was happening between them, but she had to snap out of it. Sooner, rather than later.  
In a flash, Morgan sped up so they were side by side and threw Allison a pitying glance.

“No offense sweetheart, but even for a human, you’re a terrible liar.”

* * *

Quiet voices could be heard outside, but they stopped as soon as the three other vampires sensed she was close. Upon leaving the cave, she steeled herself for all kinds of questions and disapproving stares - mostly from Adam. However, somebody has clearly talked to him while she was gone, and while he sternly told her to let him know the next time she planned on splitting from the group and disappear, there was more concern than anger in his voice. 

She, in turn, apologized for not realizing the cave would scramble the signal of the communicators, and that seemed to relieve some of his tension.

The hours passed in a blur - to try and push Falk from her mind, she kept as busy as she could, loading and unloading cargo, patrolling or going around the maa-alused asking if the Agency could provide anything else. Nate cautiously inquired if she was alright and offered to talk if she felt like it - even Farah toned down her usual perkiness. Several times, Rebecca stopped her to ask a question about supplies or team status, but Allison could see she wanted to have a heart-to-heart.

_Shame it came several years too late._

Before long, everybody was ready to depart - Falk, Sanja and all of the maa-alused came to say their farewells. They already looked right at home in the shade of the cliff’s overhang. The woven belt seemed to almost burn in her pocket when it was her turn to shake Falk’s hand - a human custom he had graciously accepted, but she thought she had managed to act professionally enough to fool anybody. Well, anybody except for vampires and their annoying ability to hear her heartbeat. Falk held her hand for several seconds longer than an usual handshake would last, and would have probably done so even longer had Adam not loudly declared that it was time for them to go.

This time, she was far too tired to stay awake during the car ride back to the Agency’s headquarters, and she kept dozing off in short intervals, lulled to sleep by the hum of the engine. During the rare minutes when she was awake, Farah was trying to cheer her up - by tearing down her own teammates, apparently.

“Hey Morgan, remember back during that mission in Ireland where that fae got a massive crush on you?” she laughed, leaning so far forward from her passenger seat she was practically standing.

“Don’t remind me,” was Morgan’s enthusiastic answer. Farah turned to Allison instead and happily continued.

“Not all fae are like that but this one was actually the kind who gains some kinda of power over you once she has your name or whatever. Trick is, it’s gotta be your full, real name.”

Morgan chuckled, apparently remembering what had happened.

“So this one was a trouble maker right? Somehow managed to get into Agency's files - we never found out how. And she found Morgan’s file - nothing ‘too confidential‘, just a photo and name and...”

Allison smiled, already anticipating the grand reveal - as far she knew, there never was a surname to Morgan’s first name.

“...so all that breaking and entering, completely for nothing!”

“Not for nothing,” Morgan smirked, briefly lowering her sunglasses and turning around in her seat to look at them. “She seemed to like my name the way she kept screaming it when we...”

“Really, Morgan?” Nate interrupted her, exasperation written in his face.

“What, you didn’t know?” Farah grinned at him.

“It was impossible not to know...or not to hear, as a matter of fact,” Nate said, visibly uncomfortable.

“I bet you don’t know the story with the satyr though.”

Morgan growled “You are absolutely NOT telling that.”

“You are correct I do not know the story, and I am inclined to believe I do not wish to know about it.”

A muffled sound came from another seat - was that...Adam? Trying not to laugh?

“Maybe I want to hear that story,” Allison chimed in, causing a small explosion in the car as Morgan’s threats, Farah’s laughter and Nate's protests erupted all at once.

The ride home has at least managed to wake her up a bit, so much that by the time they have arrived to the headquarters, she has rejected Farah’s idea of staying there and “having a sleepover”, instead deciding to take her car and drive back to her apartment. Luckily, she did not have think of a lie – without specifying to her team why, she really did wanted to be alone for a while. 

It was completely dark by the time she parked and stepped outside – the previously clear sky was now overcast with heavy clouds and a metallic scent in the air told her there would be a storm soon. Just as well – at least the weather nicely reflected her turbulent state of mind. She kept touching the belt rolled up in her coat pocket, making sure it was still there, although its implications still unnerved her.

As soon as she was safely inside, she heard raindrops thumping on her windows – slowly at first, but the spring rain soon turned into a real downpour, a sound of a thunder rolling in the distance. 

After a quick shower, Allison made herself a cup of tea and sat down to her laptop, determined to find out more about the strange gift – if they had managed to find information about the maa-alused in one of Nate’s old tomes, there had to be at least something more mentioned online. A brief search led her to multiple collections of folk tales from various parts of Europe, too many of them either way too lengthy, or focused on an aspect she wasn’t as interested in. 

There was, unfortunately, no dedicated chat forum where she could ask if there was a chance a certain gift from a supernatural being could have side effects – a curse, for example, the same way you could ask where to buy the cheapest kitchen appliances. All she found was a brief snippet about belts tied around waist warding off illnesses – a strange kind of irony. Another, more disturbing mentioned red ribbons tied around tree branches used as offerings or sacrifices - the translation was often unclear on the specifics. Then there was the matter of stories about men and women seduced by supernatural beings and ending up one of three ways – killed, abducted, or losing their mind. None of those charming conclusions appealed to her.

After almost two hours of futile search she sighed and closed the laptop, propping her head with her hands. Most of what she has found was just superstitious nonsense, and if her time with the Agency, working closely with four vampires has taught her anything, it was that reality was way too often completely different. Damn it, she didn't think reading Dracula would somehow help figure out her fellow team members - how could she think a similar strategy would work here?

Allison sighed and leaned back on her chair. It would have been way easier if she could have simply sat down in the Agency’s library with Nate and ask him about it – but she couldn’t, could she?. This was barely mission related, it was...too personal, and even knowing he would probably understand, she just couldn’t risk it. Falk was no longer just some footnote in a mythology book to study. He was a real person. Before he have her this gift, he has all but confessed - what exactly? Fear mixed with excitement in her chest, enough to make her feel dizzy. As for how much she trusted someone who, only several months ago would be perfectly happy to let a whole town suffer from illness, if it suited his sense of justice– well, she did follow him down a tunnel where she was completely blind. 

Allison stood up, nervously pacing from bedroom to kitchen, occasionally glancing at the tall mirror which always seemed to be at least on the corner of her vision, taunting her, the fabric belt in her hand. He told her to hang it on the mirror frame – and there was no mistaking the meaning behind his words when he gave it to her; the touches weren’t enough and neither was the kiss.

“Ugh…” she breathed out sharply and stopped in front of the mirror, only her own reflection dressed in a bathrobe staring back at her. She must have been crazy to even consider this – she judged the entire situation from a very human point of view, but who said the maa-alused did not have entirely different…customs? How serious was this? One night, two, more? She had too many questions – neither of which she could answer just by standing there.

The rain, calmer for the past hour, again grew in intensity. A flash of lightning shortly illuminating the sky before a loud roar of thunder almost shook her window panes, as Allison carefully approached the mirror, a hand holding the woven belt slowly reaching out. In the end, it was impossible to resist – and whatever the consequences, she has decided she would deal with them herself.

As soon as she placed the object on the mirror and stepped back, another lightning bolt crisscrossed the darkness and the loud crash that followed it made her jump and look cautiously outside - it sounded as if something has been hit way too close for comfort. 

Once she made sure there was no car or tree on fire in the immediate vicinity, she stepped away from her window and pulled down the blinds - when she turned her head back towards the mirror, it wasn’t her own reflection that looked back. The darkness from behind the mirror bled into the dim light in her bedroom. In it, a pale silhouette with golden eyes stood unmoving.

After she finally managed to calm her breath from the shock, she extended a hand towards the mirror’s surface, realizing she was smiling. Before her fingers could touch the cold glass, a pale hand with black fingertips emerged from its surface, closing around hers.

“You have made me wait,” was all he said instead of a greeting, his voice serious but a faint smile tugging at his lips. Allison raised her eyebrows, almost chuckling at his remark.

“It was a choice, according to you,” she said, taking a step back to lead Falk out of the mirror. “I had to consider if I wanted you to visit again.”

 _Alright, that was a lie_ , she thought, but it was worth saying it, just to see his reaction - as if a challenge he had not expected had appeared in front of him. He stepped so close their bodies were almost touching, his free hand reached up to her cheek, thumb agonizingly slowly brushing over her mouth. A quiet sigh escaped her at the contact and a confident smile returned to his lips.

“A difficult decision, was it?” he murmured, his touch gradually sliding lower, down her neck and Allison realized with a start that the thin bathrobe she was wearing wasn’t much of a cover. Not that it made any difference - the moment Falk stepped through he was no longer just a mystery to solve, an ever present shadow in the corner of her mind - he was real and solid, and her body responded to his touch with an intensity that almost terrified her. 

“You have no idea,” she finally whispered, reciprocating the touch the way she had imagined before, starting at his wrist, her arm slowly sliding up to his shoulder and his neck where the collar of his tunic ended. The almost unnervingly pale skin was smooth under her fingertips as she pulled him closer, all the while watching his reaction. Something dark and hungry flashed through his eyes at the contact and this time it was him who leaned in first, catching her mouth in a kiss that was nothing like the one before - from the beginning this one took and took and still demanded more, forcing her to hold on to him as her heart hammered against her chest. 

It was slow - painfully slow, as if Falk sensed her desperation and wanted to prolong it as much as possible. His fingers traced her waist, moving up and gradually lowering the bathrobe from her shoulders until it fell on the floor at her feet.

She had barely noticed she was naked, until he leaned back, breaking their contact, and looked at her in apparent satisfaction - her breath ragged, lips still half-open and wet.

“I made it...unfairly easy for you,” she breathed out, keenly feeling the loss of his touch as he stepped back, his gaze heavy with barely concealed desire. His hand came to rest on her stomach, moving agonizingly lower, but then pulling away, instead gliding over her hips - a feather-light touch dragging up her waist and brushing against her breasts, exploring her body until she trembled.

It almost felt like an examination, a fascinated sculptor studying a new work made from a material he did not recognize, and she allowed it, willing herself to stay still. She was also an unknown to him, as he was to her - and if she held back in her curiosity, the leader of the maa-alused had no such scruples.

“Are all humans like you?” he asked quietly, one finger tracing her hip, sliding down her inner thigh.

"Are you...all alike?" she managed to breathe out as his touch moved closer and closer to where the need became almost painful.

He only smiled in response, his eyes fixed on hers. 

She swallowed hard, a growing desire coiling in her core - this was almost a torture, the touch coming and going as he stepped to her side, then moved behind her, his breath warm on her neck. But Falk’s restraint seemed to be wearing thin as well, as he suddenly turned Allison to face him with an urgency that made her dizzy and pulled her close, moving them both forward until she almost stumbled down to her bed.

“Lie down,” he whispered a command in her ear - but this one time, Allison looked directly at him, and where he expected obedience, there was a challenge.

“No. Not yet.”

She didn’t care if he was used to a different behavior from his partners - if there were any. All she wanted was to have as much of him as she could before the night ended. 

“Now you refuse me?” Falk’s hand came to rest on the back of her neck, tangling into her hair to lean her head back, his mouth tracing a line down the side of her jaw. She bit her lip to stifle a moan and had to take a second convincing herself not to pull him down on the bed and do as he said.

“I want to see you too,” she managed to say between her shaky breaths, her trembling hands sliding up his chest to the silver buttons on his tunic, holding his gaze the whole time. Falk’s hands fell to her hips, but she moved them away.

“Don’t move. Let me.”

She could tell her boldness stunned him - it was clear taking anything more than suggestions was not in his nature. What she did not expect was for him to quietly laugh and let his arms fall back down, letting her undress him. 

She made sure to take her time, touching him as gently as he did to her, desperately trying to remain calm, even as he watched her every move, not looking away even for a split second. His skin looked even paler than usual against her hand, something about its feel under her fingertips so much different than any human's - almost harder, smoother. And she saw the wounds from the attack as well - some still not completely healed, a wide cut running across his torso, a patch of burned skin near his shoulder slowly transforming into a raised scar. She carefully traced its outline, fingers barely touching the skin. 

A sudden bolt of rage flared up inside her as she thought about the humans who did this to him. As if sensing her pause, Falk lifted her chin and pressed their lips together in a demanding kiss, devouring her anger until only the heat remained. 

When she let his tunic fall to the ground, she briefly pressed her lips to his collarbone, dragging her mouth down his body until she heard a quiet groan, followed by a word whispered in his language that she did not understand - there was no need, as the heated tone alone sent shivers of excitement down her spine. It wasn’t long before his breath grew almost as heavy as hers. He was becoming frustrated. 

Impatient.

 _He was right. We really are more similar than I thought._

The last piece of his clothes discarded, she could do nothing to stop him from seizing her hips and driving her so close to him she gasped. 

“I will not wait any longer, ” he muttered through his ragged breaths.

Allison had no idea who moved first, if she pulled him down along with her or if he was the one who pushed her, but her back hit the bed and soon she lost all sense of direction. Falk’s body pressed against hers, his mouth sealing her lips. A waterfall of white hair fell over her cheek, his scent overwhelming her senses - as if she wanted to feel anything else than him. Standing up he had towered over her - lying under him she was completely enveloped by his firm embrace. In spite of his heated, impatient words, his movements were slow and tender, almost hesitating - at least at first, quickly reacting to Allison's desperation to get closer, to get more of him.

"Falk...please I...ah...I need..." she moaned into the kiss, her hips rising towards him. A quiet, breathless laugh echoed in her ear as his lips pressed against the shell. He held her even tighter and whispered something with a voice heavy with desire - this time, she understood him.

 _So eager._

Within a second, his hands moved to grasp her thighs, the sharp fingernails digging into her skin almost to the point of bruising as he spread her legs - and then the surging motion that filled her so quickly and so completely she cried out his name and arched off the bed. The heat that threatened to burn her alive mixed with pleasure and pain, but that pain made everything so sharp, so intense, so _good_.

The world around her became a blur - nothing mattered, not her doubts, not her questions, only their movements that consumed and ignited, filling the room with sighs she could not control. 

He never took his eyes off her, not when she desperately clung to him as she moaned and gasped as he moved, not when the pleasure was finally too much and she seized around him, her head falling back with a desperately muffled cry - not even when he followed soon after.

She couldn’t remember if she got to hold him in her arms for at least a moment afterwards, nor did she see or hear him leave. All Allison knew was, that someone whispered her name just as she was falling asleep and briefly placed a hand on her cheek - and in the morning, all that greeted her was a warm sunlight streaming through the window and an empty space in her bed - except for an intricately woven belt placed next to her, and a scent of earth and smoke still lingering in the air. 

She groggily sat up, still half asleep, blinking into the blazing sun outside. No trace of yesterday's storm, just a clear sky, a promise of a pleasant weather. As if there was never any rain at all.

Allison frowned, briefly closing her eyes - the mirror on her wall seemed to taunt her. She should have expected this - be glad, even. After all, just how the hell would she deal with Falk in the morning? Instead, the disappointment she felt stung like a wound. It wasn't so much Falk leaving, as the gnawing fear that whatever has happened between them had no future. That this might have been the first and the last time.

* * *

A tall man stepped out of a mirror into a dark cavern chamber - his posture steady, but his breath still quickened, the memory of this night still almost unbearably clinging to his skin. She was right, the woman bearing eyes blazing with fire, so similar to Allison's. He recalled her words every day.  
_"I see your weakness for the human - I have seen that look in your eyes too many times before. Mark my words - it never ends well."_  
Falk pressed his lips tightly together and kept walking, until the cave's shadows covered him, and only the quiet footsteps echoed in the hall.

**Author's Note:**

> I can't be the only one who looked for the secret Falk romance path in Book 2...am I? :D


End file.
